The company of Sandy Wilson's The Boy Friend began to Charleston July 8 under the direction of Julie Andrews at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Jessica Grové, who played Miss Dorothy late in the run of Broadway's Thoroughly Modern Millie, stars as Polly Browne in Goodspeed Musicals' production of the 1920s-style musical spoof. The show's first Broadway Polly was Julie Andrews herself.

The production opens Aug. 3 and plays the Goodspeed Opera House through Sept. 24, which reflects a one-week extension (announced July 11). A Goodspeed-produced national tour begins this fall in Wilmington, DE.

Oscar and Emmy Award-winner Julie Andrews made her Broadway debut with the musical in 1954. Book, music and lyrics are by Sandy Wilson, who sends up and celebrates musicals of the 1920s with his happy, Charleston-spiked show. He'll visit East Haddam this summer. Among amendments to the script is the change from three acts to two.

"Amidst happy flappers and perfect young ladies, romance blooms on the French Riviera as an English heiress suddenly falls for the delivery boy," according to Goodspeed.

Andrews, whose acting credits include such showbiz landmarks as My Fair Lady, Camelot and the films "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music," originally created this version of The Boy Friend for the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, NY in August 2003.

Choreography is by John DeLuca. The musical director for The Boy Friend is Michael O'Flaherty, in his 14th season as Goodspeed's resident music director. F. Wade Russo is assistant music director with orchestrations by Dan DeLange.

Scenic and costume design is by Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award-winning Tony Walton (Andrews' close pal and former husband), with Kelly Hanson as associate scenic designer and Rachel Navarro as co-costume designer. Lighting is designed by Richard Pilbrow.

The show's musical numbers, according to the Goodspeed program, are:

"Perfect Young Ladies," "The Boy Friend," "Won't You Charleston with Me?," "Fancy Forgetting," "I Could Be Happy with You," "Sur Le Plage," "A Room in Bloomsbury," "Nicer in Nice," "The You Don't Want to Play with Me Blues," "Safety in Numbers," "The Riviera," "It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love," "Carnival Tango" and "Poor Little Pierrette."

The Boy Friend is produced for Goodspeed Musicals by Michael P. Price.